Thursday, May 22, 2025
Small Town Vibe
Population 1000-2999

Lyons, CO: Our 5 Favorite Discoveries amidst the Red Sandstone!

Small Town Vibe

Lyons, Colorado

2020 Population: 2,202 *

February 2025: We spent a delightful afternoon in downtown Lyons. The first thing we noticed was the prevalence of the red sandstone in the buildings that line Main Street. Each structure seems to hold a piece of history. Surrounding the town, the backdrop of the red sandstone cliffs hints at the tales of the area’s geological past. However, our goal is to discover what present-day Lyons has to offer!

Lyons is in Boulder County, and is located at the confluence of North and South Saint Vrain Creeks. It is also located at the intersection of State Highway 7 and U.S. Highway 36, which leads to Rocky Mountain National Park.

Lyons – A Brief History

The town of Lyons was founded in 1880 by Edward S. Lyon. He purchased 160 acres from H.F. and Isabelle Sawyer, noticing the potential to quarry out the red sandstone outcroppings, which offered easy quarrying access in the region. The town of Lyon was platted in 1881 and incorporated in 1891.

Late 1800s and early 1900s – Red Sandstone industry Rises and Falls and Rises Again

Lyons has large red sandstone mountains on three sides. Its rock is considered the hardest sandstone in the world and has a unique red or salmon color. Owner E. S. Lyon established the quarrying business he envisioned; however, his business was not a big success, and he left for California. Numerous owners succeeded him and developed various successful quarries over time. The Denver, Utah and Pacific Railroad laid narrow gauge tracks into Lyons in 1884 to serve the quarries.

The first main building to be built was the red sandstone schoolhouse in 1881. The booming population resulted in the town adding a second floor a few years later. It was also used for church and town meetings until 1894 when the Old Stone Church was built. 

In 1910-12 the cement industry killed the sandstone industry, and rock production stopped. The only sandstone construction that went on during this period was the University of Colorado‘s new unified campus.

The sandstone business was revived in the 1930s when the red sandstone started to be used more as a decorative rock than for commercial purposes. Today it is a booming industry, with sandstone shipped worldwide.

1976 – Historic Preservation Era begins

The town of Lyons is active in historical preservation. The Lyons Historical Society was formed in 1976 to advocate for the preservation of the 1881 red sandstone schoolhouse. It took 3 years of fighting the school district, but eventually the group saved the schoolhouse and transformed it into the Lyons Redstone Museum. Since then, the town has created a Designated Historic District, with fifteen sandstone structures which are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. These were all constructed of native stone by master craftsmen between the early 1870s and 1917. They include commercial, residential and public buildings.

2013 – Surviving and Thriving after a Devastating Flood

In September of 2013, the Town of Lyons experienced an historic flood which devastated local infrastructure and residents. Since that time, the town has worked to rebuild, restore housing stock, and improve public amenities.

 Today, Lyons is noted for its arts, culture and outdoor recreation opportunities.  The town is proud of it’s tagline “the hip little town everybody loves. ” (source: History of Lyons | Lyons, CO)

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Our 5 Favorite Discoveries in Lyons!

During our recent visit, we parked in historic downtown and walked around, admiring the historic architecture and art, with a bit of shopping and snacking along the way

Visit Lyons website

#1. Lyons Historic Downtown – A beautiful walk-through Redstone History!

Lyons has a beautiful historic downtown. It is the kind of place where the buildings look historic but also well-maintained and house active businesses. There are also gardens and parks nearby. We were even greeted by a couple of Chickens during our walk 🙂

I learned later that Lyons is part of a Main Street Program that focuses on facilitating and maintaining a healthy and vibrant Main Street.

Lyons has a Designated Historic District, with fifteen sandstone structures which are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. These were all constructed of native stone by master craftsmen between the early 1870s and 1917. (See a list of their historic buildings HERE)

The Lyons Redstone Museum (open Memorial Day weekend and June 1-Oct.4 daily) is housed in the old schoolhouse on Main Street. Admission is free for all visitors (donations welcome!) and is a great way to learn more about the history of the area, including the great flood of 2013!

#2. Love the public art and vibrant music scene!

During our visit, we enjoyed the variety of public art along Main Street. We learned later that Lyons has a rich and diverse public art scene, facilitated by the Lyons Arts and Humanities Commission. See a list of public art installations HERE.

We also learned later that Lyons has a vibrant music scene! Several annual music festivals take place along the Saint Vrain Creek, at the Planet Bluegrass Ranch on Main Street just north of downtown. Cool!

#3. So many good food and drink options!

Lyons has an amazing selection of restaurants, craft breweries, and other snacks, most with wonderful outdoor space. Given its central location to the Rocky Mountain National Park and other outdoor activities, it is easy to imagine enjoying food and a drink here after an active day of hiking, biking, rafting, etc :). Below are several options in historic walkable downtown.

#4. Local art gallery – and other shopping options

Whe we visit a new town, we like to stop by local art shops and co-ops featuring the talents of area artists – and the Red Canyon Art Gallery is a good one! Below are a few other shops along historic Main Street and nearby:

#5. A gateway to the Rocky Mountain National Park – and other outdoor activities

Lyons is easily accessible from I-25 and is considered a gateway to the Rocky Mountain National Park. As such, it is a convenient ‘Home Base’ location to access a wide variety of outdoor activities!

Rocky Mountain National Park – Rocky Mountain National Park is so busy that it requires timed entry permit reservations from late May through late October. However, there are other options from Lyons! Get more information about visiting the Rocky Mountain National Park from Lyons HERE.

Area Hikes – Get more information for hiking options near Lyons from All Trails HERE

Tubing on St Vrain Creek Information – Get more information about tubing in Lyons HERE

Local Bike Services and Trails – Get more information about biking in Lyons HERE

Rocky Mountain Botanic Gardens – located on 5th Ave south of downtown (RMBG website)

More to Explore!

A lot is going on in Lyons! My online research indicates that saving the old school house in 1976 and the devastating flood in 2013 spurred a high level community engagement to support rebuilding and sustaining this vibrant town.

Signature Events

Lyons has a wide variety of annual events!

Organizations that Support Community in Lyons

Non-City Government Organizations

  • Lyons Chamber of Commerce – temporarily closed as of 2/2025
  • Lyons Main Street – “We are a non-profit organization fueled by volunteers. We advocate a return to community self-reliance, local empowerment, rebuilding the traditional downtown district based on its unique historical assets and distinctive architecture, a pedestrian-friendly environment, personal service, local ownership, and a sense of community.”
    • Colorado’s Main Street Program – provides Colorado communities with technical assistance and funding to support vibrant downtowns and enhance local character
  • Lyons Creative District – “to provide and promote opportunities for the arts and for our community“. Public Art programs include:

Map of Lyons

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